The challenge of quantifying and modelling risk elements within collaborative infrastructures

The rapid integration and dependence upon information and communication technologies (ICT) within varying industries, has augmented cyber interdependencies along with increasing other elements of risk such as complexity, cascading failure and single points of failure within collaborative infrastructures. Current solutions are inadequate, and incapable of adapting to the scale and complexity of these infrastructures. Furthermore, they are extremely rigid, focusing upon a specific risk, attack, vulnerability, and are industry specific. As a result, systems‐of‐systems (SoS) are failing directly owing to these significant risk elements. Our research demonstrates that while ICT has evolved quickly, solutions that attempt to identify issues and model large complex networks have failed to evolve at the same pace. In this paper we summarise the challenges and vulnerabilities which impact collaboration, and review significant risk elements which impede SoS, including existing solutions and methods which attempt to quantify risk. In addition, we outline our current and future work.